Dartmouth (8-9-1, 3-8-1 ECAC) has been the source of the last two Harvard (7-9-3, 6-6-2 ECAC) victories. The Crimson beat the Big Green 1-0 on Saturday, Dec. 1.
Harvard controlled play for most of the game, out-shooting Dartmouth 27-18, making it the 10th straight game in which the Big Green has been out-shot.
"We couldn't really generate any consistent offensive play," head coach Bob Gaudet said. "They jammed it up pretty hard."
Gaudet attributed part of the team's inability to create goal-scoring opportunities to playing without Rob Pritchard '09, who was injured after the team's game against the University of New Hampshire last weekend.
"Your lines are changed, and your power plays are changed and penalty kills are changed," Gaudet said.
But Gaudet attributed the loss mostly to a tough Harvard team.
"It's a team with a lot of good solid players on it," Gaudet said. "They played a good road game."
Both teams came out equally slow in the first period. Kyle Reeds '11 found an opportunity as Evan Stephens '11 sent the puck across the net, but his shot went wide. Crimson senior Alex Meintel responded by beating the Dartmouth defense and shooting the puck in hard at net from the slot. Mike Devine l'08 made a sprawling save, managing to cover the goal line and shut down a dangerous opportunity for the Crimson.
Harvard took control early, stifling the Big Green and only allowing three shots on net in the first period. Dartmouth relied on Devine, who picked up a career-high 54 saves in Dartmouth's last game against UNH, to shut down the Crimson's eight scoring opportunities in the first period.
The Crimson kept the pressure on in the second period, coming out of the locker rooms with a possession that resulted in an open slapshot from senior Mike Taylor that was caught by Devine. Jon Grecu '08 tried to respond for the Big Green with a shot in from the top of the circle but it was deflected by Harvard goaltender Kyle Richter. Freshman Michael Biega hooked a high shot at net from the top of the face-off circle, but the shot was denied by a reflex save from Devine, who managed to move a pad in the way of the shot. The Crimson finally capitalized on one of its many opportunities late in the second period with a shot on net by sophomore Doug Rogers. Rogers took a pass in the corner of Dartmouth's defensive zone and snuck a shot behind the skates of Devine.
Later in the period, Rob Smith '10 came up with an opportunity for the Big Green, firing a slap shot past Devine from the bottom of the right circle, which was saved by Kyle Richter. Grecu followed up with another goal scoring opportunity as he circled around the back of the net, but the puck was blocked by the Crimson keeper.
Harvard increased its lead to two off of a power play goal from senior Jon Pelle.
Pelle, who scored two of Harvard's three goals in the game, cashed in Harvard's 12th power play goal this season with a wrist shot that found the top right corner of the goal over the left shoulder of Devine.
Stephens finally picked up a goal for the Big Green with less than a minute left in the second. Joe Stejskal '11 passed the puck to Stephens across the ice who then fired in a shot from the blue line over the shoulder of Richter and into the back of the net. The goal put Stephens in third for team points with 11 gave Stejskal his second point of the season.
The third period began with a play by Adam Estoclet '11 as the Big Green made a bid to tie up the game. Estoclet, trying to evade defenders in front of the net, flicked the puck over the stick of a Harvard defender but ended up drilling the puck into the pads of the Crimson goaltender.
The hopes of Dartmouth fans who maintained faith in a third period comeback were quickly crushed by the Crimson, as Pelle netted the game-winner with 17 minutes to play in the third, and the teams played scoreless hockey for the remainder of the game.
The loss snaps an eight-game scoring streak for Nick Johnson '08, as well as three-game scoring streaks for both J.T. Wyman '08 and Kyle Reeds '11.
"They're disappointed," Gaudet said after the loss. "They tried hard."
Despite the team's consistent struggles so far this season, Gaudet remains optimistic for the rest of the season.
"We've got a run in us with this team, and you never know when it's going to come," Gaudet said.
The Big Green makes another bid for an ECAC win against Yale on Feb. 1 in New Haven, Conn.
